Murderous Love
by Fires Of Raze
Summary: In a fit of jealous rage, Berkley's old boss hired an assassin to kill him. But will the infamous assassin be able to carry out his job or will he fall in love instead? Rated 'M' for later chapters. Please R&R! I'll love you!
1. Jittery Old Fool

**_-- Disclaimer: The characters of the story are either from the manga FAKE or are customs. If they're from FAKE, I don't own them, so don't sue me pwease. Otherwise, they's mine or Yujero's. Thankies --_**

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**Jittery Old Fool**

Darkness was quickly decending on the city, the lights of Times Square a distant flicker in the dark alleyways of uptown New York. Here you were lucky to find a working streetlight and most people either carried a weapon or spent their nights inside behind locked doors and barred windows. In the shadows of an abandoned building, a young man in his mid-twenties stood shaking his head as he watched another older man fiddle with his hands under a streetlight at the corner. The man was graying prematurely, the younger noticed, and was slightly overweight but hid it well behind his expensive tailored suit. His large hands folded over themselves repeatedly, a nervous gesture that looked as if he were washing his hands at an imaginary sink. The younger watched for a few more moments as the other checked his watch quickly and glanced around, licking his lips nervously.

"So what did you want from me?" The younger ones voice asked, quiet and deadly, grinning slightly when the older man nearly jumped out of his shoes.

"You scared me..." He said, drawing a nod from the other. "That's my job..."

This time it was the elders turn to nod, licking his lips again and resuming his hand washing movements.

"C...Could you come into the light, please? I can't see you..."

Silence reigned for a moment before the soft voice came once again.

"...As you wish."

The younger stepped forward slowly, the pale yellow light flooding over him instantly. His long black hair fell slightly into his face on one side, the other side tucked behind his ear. His pale skin struck out from his dark hair and the all black clothing that allowed him to blend into the night... His pale gray eyes colorless, like dirty rain water. The look behind those eyes was emotionless and cruel, like he'd seen the most gruesome of crimes and been proud to say he'd done it himself. He lifted one hand slowly, sliding the other side of his hair behind his ear and twirling the blood-red tips between his fingers.

"Well?" He asked after a moment and the elder shivered slightly. "I... I need you to kill someone..."

A soft sigh escaped the younger and he let go of his hair.

"Yes, that's why you called me out here..." He said, slightly annoyed.

"Y...yes... Sorry... I... I need you to kill this man..."

He handed the other a paper, drawing his hand back quickly and causing the younger to snicker.

"His name is..."

"Berkley Rose... Commissioner of the 27th Precinct and your former employee." The younger finished, glancing over the paper before folding it up and sliding it into the pocket of his jeans, raising his cold gray eyes to stare at the other once again.

"When do you want this done?"

"A...As soon as possible..." The man stuttered out and the younger noded, handing him a slip of paper.

"You can reach me at this number. You and my gang are the only ones who know this number so if I find out the police are after me for any reason, your head will be only so many splattered pieces on the asphalt... Understand?"

The elder nodded frantically, sticking the paper in his jacket pocket with a shaky hand. The younger nodded slightly then turned and began walking away, turning back only when the man called out to him.

"Wait! When I call you... Who should I ask for?" He asked and the other laughed quietly as he disappeared into the night, leaving his name hanging whispered on the air.

"Ask for Crimson..."

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**_-- Please R&R and lemme know what you think!! More chapters will be added later, I promise!! --_**


	2. Night Watch

**-- _Disclaimer: Same as last chapter --_**

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**Night Watch**

- The Next Night -

"So this is it, huh?"

Crimson glanced at his paper once more then turned his face up to the house in front of him. "Yep... This is his place..."

It was once again nightfall in NY City, but here the streetlights were so overused that he wondered how anyone ever got any sleep. Although, he supposed, that was the rich folks good use of all their money... Spending it on so many streetlights just so they could spend more on high security systems and thick curtains to block out the light and the sounds of the police cars that patrolled the area often. Crimson shook his head and slid the paper into his pocket once more.

"How you gonna get inside to kill him?"

A fellow gang member had asked to come along for the night, curious about the assassination and Crimson had agreed initially but was now regretting his decision. The man was turning out to be nothing but a nuisance.

"I'm gonna climb the wall, go to his door, ring the doorbell and when he answers, I'm gonna ask if I can kill him. That work for you?" He asked sarcastically, hands on his hips as he turned towards the other.

"I don't think that would work well, Jace."

Silence fell for a moment before Crimson raised a hand and smacked the other flat across the face, causing him to yelp out in pain.

"One, your a dumbass and two, I told you to never call me that. Understand?"

He snarled, the last word half growled out between clenched teeth as his cold eyes stared the other down. The man simply nodded, cringing slightly when he touched his cheek.

"Besides..." He continued, his voice turning softer as he turned back towards the house. "Why in hell would I tell you my plans anyways? Unless you plan to snitch on me?" His head turned towards the other man once more, his eyes boring into the others accusingly.

"N..no... no! I'd never snitch on you!" The other half yelled in fear as he watched his leaders hand move slowly towards his gun.

"Good... Cause you know what would happen if you did..." He removed his gun from under his trenchcoat, holding it loosely in the other mans direction.

"Y... you'd kill me..." He stuttered and Crimson nodded. "You're damn right I'd kill you. I could drop you right here and not feel a thing... Do you understand that?"

The man nodded as he stared into the others eyes, too scared to look away.

"Ye... yes sir..."

Crimson nodded, satisfied, and put his gun back under his coat.

"Well Berkley..." He said softly, staring back at the house once more. "You and I will have to have a meeting sooner or later... Preferably sooner so I can get this over with..."

"Yeah, we could use the money." The other spoke out and Crimson swept his hand aside, smacking the side of his face again without even shifting his glance.

"Shut up." He said simply, staring at the dark house beyond the well lit porch and yard. The other fell silent, glaring at his leader from the corner of his eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow..." Crimson continued quietly. "Sometime soon Berkley, you'll have a special guest waiting for you when you get home. We'll have a little talk..."

With that, he tore his gaze away from the house and stared down the street, watching a cop car as it turned the corner of the next block.

"Let's go..." He whispered, stepping out of the streetlights back into the comfortable darkness of the night, his parting words left floating on the cool night breeze.

"See you tomorrow... My prey..."

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**_-- So lemme know what you think pwease and thank you! --_**


	3. Shivers Of Paranoia

**Shivers Of Paranoia**

Sitting in his office, Berkley Rose shivered in his chair. He rubbed his arms as goosebumps broke out on his body and glanced around the quiet office quickly, already knowing he was alone but making sure nonetheless. For the past few days, he'd had chills constantly but had played it off, convincing himself that he was probably just coming down with something or his air conditioner was on too high. Now though, sitting with the broad sunlight streaming through the open blinds, he knew somewhere in his subconscious cop mind that it wasn't just him... There was defiantly something giving him these chills. He glanced towards the window and stared for a few moments before getting up and going to stand by them, his arms crossed. He shifted a bit, directing the sunlight out of his eyes as he watched the scenery outside... The traffic... The people...

"Hmm..."

He muttered softly as one guy in particular caught his eye. The man looked familiar in a way, but Berkley couldn't seem to place where he'd seen him. And was he staring back at him through the window? Nah... Probably just admiring the sights or something...

_Yeah Berkley, he's admiring the crappy looking precinct building... Come on... _He thought to himself.

But what else would he be staring at? Unless...

"You're my chills, aren't you?" He whispered to himself. As if in response, the man suddenly broke his mannequin-like state to glance at his watch and began walking away, disappearing down a nearby alleyway. Berkley glanced at his watch as well, his mind starting to whirl when he saw that it was exactly 10 minutes till the end of his shift.

_Oh now you're just being paranoid. It's just a coincidence so stop it..._

He scolded himself mentally and shook his head, rolling his neck to ease the tension that had built in his shoulders. Still, despite his efforts to relax, the feeling just wouldn't leave. He sighed softly, closing out the documents and programs on his computer before gathering up his briefcase and heading out of his office. A few officers to speak to, a few papers to hand off to the chief, and he was off, out the special door that could only be opened from the inside unless one had the designated key. The sunlight blinded him momentarily and he slid his sunglasses on, shielding his eyes as he scanned the parking lot for the man he'd seen before. The other was nowhere to be found, but Berkley still found himself with one hand on his gun as he walked to his car, his eyes darting around as he unlocked the door and slid in, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

_Get ahold of yourself... You're supposed to be a cop._

"Cops are allowed to get creeped out too, ya know..."

He muttered into the empty car as he set his briefcase on the passenger seat and started the engine, roaring it to life as he backed out of his parking spot and pulled out of the lot. The normally short drive took a bit longer then usual as he drove slowly towards his house, scanning the side streets and somewhat-lit alleyways for the man he'd seen before. Once again however, he was nowhere to be found and Berkley had relaxed by the time he pulled up the gate surrounding his large house. He reached out his window to insert the key that opened the gate and drove through, pulling into the gravel driveway and coming to a stop off to the front-side of the house.

A soft silence took over the car as the engine was killed and Berkley stepped out, pulling his briefcase behind him. He glanced quickly at the gate to make sure it had closed then closed his car door and started towards his house. A few steps away from his front door he stopped, listening to the near silence of the neighborhood. A soft sound had caught his ears and although it was probably nothing, his mind wouldn't let him let go. He slowly looked around his front lawn, eyes straining to see into the shadows cast by the large trees. The sound came again and he turned whipped around to the tree on the other side of the driveway, pulling his gun instinctively from it's holster and pointing it towards the sound.

"Now now, no need to be so hasty with your gun now, Commissioner Rose."

A soft voice said from the shadow of the large tree where its owner stood leaning against the trunk, slowly whittling a branch with a small pocketknife.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing on my property?"

Berkley demanded, not lowering his gun. The other man tossed the branch away and slid the knife back into his jeans pocket, pushing himself off the tree trunk and taking a few steps towards Berkley.

"Nice to meet you too." He said, words laced with a bit of sarcasm as his cold eyes stared at the other.

"I said... Who are you and what are you doing on my property?"

"I heard you the first time Berkley."

"Then answer the damn question."

The younger nodded and did a bit of a dramatic bow.

"My name is Crimson."

Berkley stared at the other, squinting a bit then widened his eyes again.

"You're that gang leader I keep getting reports about, aren't you?"

Crimson grinned. "Most likely if you haven't caught him yet."

"Mmn..." Berkley muttered and lowered his gun just a bit. "You still haven't told me why you're on my property in the first place."

"I wanted to personally see what I was up against." He said simply, glancing around at the yard as if un-phased by the gun pointed at him.

"Up against?" Berkley asked with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Crimson turned back to him, staring at him with his icy steel eyes.

"You'll find out soon enough, Berkley. But don't worry... I won't make you wait long..."

That said, he bowed his head a bit and started on his way back down the driveway.

"Hey!" Berkley yelled after him, cocking his gun.

Crimson turned back, staring at him blankly.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Commissioner. I've done nothing wrong to you."

"Maybe not but you've killed plenty of other people and I've got enough on you to take you in."

"Can you prove solidly that I committed the murders? Cause if not, you're going to be in deep shit for shooting me for no reason."

Berkley lowered his gun and Crimson nodded.

"That's better. I'll see ya later commish." He said, turning back towards the gate and climbing swiftly over it, taking off down the street without even so much as a backwards glance, leaving Berkley staring after him in the fading afternoon sun.

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_**-- Is getting somewhere slowly Lemme know if you want me to continue it and thanks for reading!! --**_


	4. Conflicts and Surprises

_-- __Disclaimer:__ Do I really need to repeat this every chapter? I own nothing but Crimson so please don't sue me. Thank you. --_

_-- Okay so this chapter is a pretty long time coming. I guess I kinda ran into a writers block but I finally got inspired at a meeting at work (Of all places) and jotted out this chapter so I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!! Love you all!! --_

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**Chapter 4: Conflicts and Suprises**

"Berkley, are you even listening to me?"

Diana Spacey flipped her long blonde hair back over her shoulders and settled a hand on each hip, glaring at the man before her.

"Berkley... Berkley!" She called and the other jumped slightly, looking at her as if she'd just appeared.

"Huh?" He asked, drawing a sigh from Diana.

"You weren't listening to a word I was saying, were you?"

Berkley stared for a moment longer then shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry, Dee-Dee, I'm just... Distracted, I guess."

"You? Distracted from police work? Since when?" She shifted slightly, one hand falling across her stomach to link with the other still on her hip. "What's up with you today Berkie?"

He sighed softly and leaned back in his chair then stood up quickly and began walking around his office.

"I... There's just this guy who's kinda getting to me... It's nothing, really."

"What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. "No one ever gets to you..."

Berkley stopped by a filing cabinet and placed one hand atop it, staring out at seemingly nothing.

"Berkie...?" Diana asked, her voice taking on a worried tone as she took a step closer to him. At the sound of the worry in her voice, Berkley turned back to her and forced a reassuring smile, trying to keep his own voice light.

"It's nothing Dee-Dee... I promise."

"Are you sure...?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at him inquisitively. Berkley simply nodded, keeping the smile on his face.

"Yes, I'm sure. I guess I'm just a little stressed from work and such... You know how that goes, you're busy enough all day with your FBI cases..."

She stared him down with her infamous I think you're lieing glare but he broke it down with a gentle hug and a kiss to the cheek before backing away to stare into her eyes.

"I promise you... It's nothing."

She stared at him a moment longer then relented and smiled back. "Alright, alright. But if something comes up..."

"I'll call you." He finished, pulling a disbelieving look from her. "Come on Dee-Dee, I always call you when I've got problems with stuff."

A soft sigh escaped her but much to his relief, she relented and noticably relaxed a bit.

"Well if it -is- nothing, then can I finish talking to -you- and not the space cadet I was talking to before?"

He laughed softly then sat back down and leaned back in his chair.

"Sure."

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Almost an hour later, after he'd listened to her current issue and given her tidbits of advice, Berkley stood alone in his office, staring at the closed window from his chair. For the past week, after meeting with Crimson, he'd been cautious... Not afraid, mind you, just cautious... About even opening the blinds. As the days passed and he continued seeing the other man stalking around and following him everywhere, he'd slowly grown more nervous but because he didn't really know for sure what Crimson was capable of, he was reluctant to really do anything about it. He'd thought about bringing it up with Diana, especially while she'd been there that day, but once he'd thought about possible consequences that could very well occur, he'd decided he didn't want to get anyone else involved. Someone else's life was the last thing he needed on his hands, if he could help it.

A knock at his door jarred him from his thoughts and he cleared his throat before calling the person in. The door opened a crack and one of the many dispatchers stuck her head in, an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry to interupt Commissioner Rose, but there's a man at the desk who wants to talk to you."

"Don't apologize Lucy, you're not interupting anything. As for the visitor, send him on in."

"Yes, sir." The dispatcher nodded before her head disappeared back through the door. Berkley got up slowly, working out his leg that had fallen asleep during his trainride of thought and therefore didn't see the man who came in, silent as the devil himself. The sharp click of the closing door made him snap back around with a gasp and he had to struggle to keep a straight face as he stared at the man before him, smiling as if he were in on a secret that Berkley had been kept out on.

"You..."

He stuttered out, mentally scolding himself for failing to mask the flash of panic from his voice for on the other side of the room, standing to the left of the door, stood Crimson, a dark contrast to the bright florescent lights in the office.

"Hello... Berkley..."

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--_ Well I hope you like it The next chapter is written, it just has to be typed out and will be up tomorrow so R&R and be sure to tell me what you think of it and if you'd like me to continue. Thanks!! --_


	5. When Bravery Falters

_-- Okay this took a lot longer then expected to be able to type up -.-;; I'm really sorry for keeping all of you waiting for this chapter. I wrote it at the same time as the last one, I just haven't had a spare moment to actually type this one up. Please forgive me? -Puppy eyes- Lol Anyways, here's the next chapter and I'll have chapter 6 up as soon as I figure out where to go next .;; Thanks for reading!! --_

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**Chapter 5: When Bravery Falters**

"You..." Berkley stuttered again and Crimson nodded.

"What about me?" He asked as he wandered away from the door and explored the others office. Berkley took the moment to regain himself and cleared his throat quietly.

"What are you doing here, Crimson? And in my office, no less? You've got some nerve..."

Crimson simply shrugged as he trailed his fingers over the books on the large bookshelf and glanced at him.

"I figured I'd come visit. See how you were doing and all..."

He trailed off, his infamous grin back on his face as he went over and sat in one of the chairs infront of the desk, lifting one leg up to place his ankle on his knee. Berkley glared at him but stood his ground. Anger was probably a better emotion to show then fear anyway.

"I'm sure you know how I'm doing since you've been watching me everyday." He accused angrily, causing the other to shrug again.

"Sure, I can see how you physically are, but sometimes it's hard to tell emotions from far away..." He unhooked his ankle and leaned forward a bit, smiling mischieviously, his voice quiet. "I wanted to see how far down you've been broken so far..."

Berkley forced himself to swallow and stared at him, transfixed.

"You're crazy..." He whispered, bringing a laugh out of Crimson.

"Maybe I am. But see, I like to toy with my prey before I kill them. Get inside their heads... Make it so eventually they're begging to be killed, just so they can get away from me..."

"Plus..." He added as he leaned back into the chair again. "It pays more the longer it takes to kill you."

"Who hired you to do this? Who?!" Berkley spit out, finally finding his voice and glad it didn't sound as afraid as he was becoming. Crimson laughed and folded his hands across his stomach.

"Quiet now, commissioner. Wouldn't want someone to come in and get hurt, now would you?"

Berkleys glance trailed to the trenchcoat the younger was wearing and Crimson smiled, pulling a soft growl out of the others throat.

"You're infuriating..." He muttered and Crimson laughed once again, making Berkley grind his teeth softly.

"Would you rather I just kill you now for your pretty little dispatcher to find?"

"I'd rather you get out of my office and leave me the hell alone." Berkley responded quickly, straining to keep his voice calm.

"As you wish." Crimson said with a shrug and unfolded himself from the chair, stretching slightly. "Well then, Commissioner Rose, thank you for this lovely meeting and I hope we can do business again sometime very... Very soon."

The glint in his eye told tales of bloddy massacres to come and Berkley had to re-swallow his heart.

"...Get out... Leave me alone..." He said, his voice strangled and quiet.

Crimson nodded and opened the door then bowed slightly as he backed his way out of the office. Berkley stared at the door intently, waiting for the sound of it closing. Then, as the latch clicked shut once more, Berkley Rose fell to his knees and buried his face into his horribly shaking hands.

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_-- So there it is. -Nod nod- Be sure to let me know how you liked or didn't like it. Critisism is accepted but please, don't just flame it. I may cry :( Nah just kidding lol But please do review it... I'll love you!! --_


	6. Stormy Days, Sleepless Nights

_-- Yay new chapter!! . Hopefully I'm not the only one happy about that lol Well I think I conquered my writers block once again and finally managed to spit out a longer chapter, since the last few have been pretty short in comparison to my normal chapters. This one is a little different but I hope ya still like it Thanks for reading!! --_

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**Chapter 6: Stormy Days, Sleepless Nights**

- Several Days Later -

Darkness was settled on New York City as the sun hid behind the black storm clouds that hovered over the entire East Coast. The sky, which was usually so bright and warm this time of the year, was instead cold, chilly and most definatly not inviting. Rain splattered on the windows as the wind thrashed its way through the trees, causing wind tunnels against those unfortunate enough to be out on the streets. The loud crackling thunder sent all the citys animals into hiding while those inside watched their houses flash with the lightning searing across the sky.

Inside the 27th Precinct, flashlights were out in every office and the emergency backup generators were ready in case of a black out. Several rookie detectives grumbled in the coffe room about having to wear their dry-clean only suits out in the rain, while patrol officers pulled straws to see which of them would face the weather out on patrol.

"LAYTNER!!"

A voice roared out, momentarily silencing the station. Inside his office, Dee Laytner groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Here we go again..." He grumbled as he got up out of his chair. "Wonder what the old badger wants to yell at me about now."

His partner, Ryo, glanced up from his paperwork long enough to give him a dirty look then continued writing as he ticked off possible reasons.

"Well let's see, Dee. It could be because you're constantly late, or because you hardly ever do your own paperwork, your attitude, your trigger-happiness with your gun..."

"I'm going now, Ryo..."

Dee grumbled out and closed the door as his partner continued to list off his bad habits, seemingly now to himself. He went down the hallway and poked his head in the doorway, prepared to duck away from any objects that might come flying his way.

"You uh, wanted to see me, chief?"

The chief blew out a puff of smoke and glared in his direction.

"You're damn right, Laytner and you're lucky I don't fire your ass right here and now. Where the hell is your report?"

"My report, sir? Which one?"

Chief took another drag of his cigarette then placed his hand back on his desk.

"The one I've been yelling at you about for weeks. I need that damn report, Dee, or we can't close out the case."

Dee stepped fully into the office, a confused look on his face.

"I handed that report in a few days ago, chief..."

"Oh you did, did you? Well then where the hell is it?" The elder asked sarcastically and Dee put his hands up slightly.

"I truthfully don't know, sir. I last saw it when I put it on the commish's desk a few days ago."

"Well then go get it from him and tell him I said he'd better stop hogging 'em for so long. He's holding up the cases."

Dee nodded and went back out into the hallway, running a hand through his jet black hair. It wasn't like the commissioner to hold back reports, especially on such a big case like that one had been... One of the few which had actually given most of the detectives nightmares for days. It had been another murder, nothing uncommon really, but the man had been so brutally murdered that they could only hope the damage had been done after his murder. Of course, Dee knew the truth. He'd seen the look on the dead mans face... See the look of utter terror and unfathomable pain in his eyes... He'd still been alive when the alchohol bottle had been smashed on his skull, its remaining half shoved jaggedly into his lower back before he was shot straight through the back of the head, the exit hole clean in the center of his forehead except the trickle of blood that flowed down between his wide open eyes.

Dee shivered slightly and tried to blame it on the air conditioner in the building, but the churn of his stomach told him he knew better; That case would surely haunt him for quite awhile. Of course, he also knew that they were going to continue to get worse if they didn't catch the guy who'd done it. He was the leader of one of the most notorious gangs in the city, though they refused to tell anyone their name. Around the precincts and all the way up to the state police, the group was simply known as Crimsons Gang.

Dee snapped out of his thoughts as he reached the office door and knocked softly, cracking it open a little when he got no response.

"Commish? You in here?"

His gaze fell on the blonde at the window, his body visably shivering from what didn't look like the cold chill outside.

"Berkley...?"

He asked quietly then walked over when he was once again answered with silence.

"Berkley? Hey, you okay...?"

His voice grew a bit more worried as he placed a hand gently on the others shoulder. Berkley jumped like he'd been bit and spun around, hand automatically on his gun holster.

"Hey, hey! Chill commish... It's just me..."

Berkley stared at him for a moment, his breathing faster than normal, before sighing in noticable relief and dropping his hand from the holster.

"Sorry..."

He muttered, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes with a tired, shaky hand. Dee nodded a bit and tilted his head, staring at him intently.

"You alright, Berkley? You... Well put simply, you look like shit."

Berkley uttered a weak laugh then sat down in his chair and spun it to face the other.

"Thanks Laytner. Just what I always wanted to hear... How horrible I look in the morning."

Dee shrugged apologetically, a small smile on his face that faded as he sat on the arm of one of the chairs infront of the desk.

"What's eating you so bad? You jumped like I'd hit you with a taser."

Berkley shook his head and brushed his hair out of his face again, forcing a small smile.

"It's nothing, Laytner... Just stressed from keeping you idiots in line."

Dee's grin returned and his head bobbed in agreement.

"Yeah, you know those rookies, always causing trouble."

"Mmm..." Rose muttered with an accusatory stare. "And I know just where they learn it, too."

"Who, me?" Dee asked, pointing to himself. "I never cause trouble."

Berkley managed to laugh at that, Dee joining in as well.

"Speaking of keeping in line, can I have the report I left on your desk a few days ago? Chief's biting my head off about it."

"Shit..." Berkley muttered and rummaged through his desk, handing the report to him. "Sorry, guess I forgot to give it to him."

Dee shrugged the apology off and took the report, tucking it under one arm.

"You sure you're alright? You still look kinda pale..."

Berkley chuckled softly and sat back in his chair slowly.

"That's nothing new Laytner and yes, I'm fine. I was just deep in thought, is all."

Dee considered his excuse for a moment then nodded once more and held the report up slightly. "Thanks again." He said then pushed himself off the chair and headed towards the door.

"No problem."

Berkley responded as the detective left the room. When the door clicked shut quietly, he sighed, his cheerful act falling away like the rain outside. He glanced out the window again with a shiver that definatly had nothing to do with the cold, while across the street, a flash of lightning illuminated the shape of a man in the alleyway nearby, his evil cackle lost in the crackling, rolling thunder of the storm.

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_-- Okay so like I said, it's a bit of a different point of view I suppose and it's actually longer! Yay! .;; So yeah please review and tell me how you like it!! Luff luff!!_


	7. Pulling Together

_-- Yay another chapter! I'm on a roll! And I'm hungry too... Hmm... -Eats roll- Ah man, now I can't write anymore. .;; Yeah I'm in a weird mood. Lol Anyways, here's chapter 7 and chapter 8, believe it or not, is already written as well but my hands are like, falling off so give me a day or two, okay? Thank you again so much to all you reading this. I really really appreciate it and I hope you love it!! --_

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**Chapter 7: Pulling Together**

"Acting weird? What do you mean?"

Diana Spacey's voice asked over the small phone. Dee had wandered back to his office after giving his report to the cheif and, after persuading Ryo to accompany JJ to sniper practice, had called up Berkley's best friend to try and figure out what was going on.

"I dunno how to explain it, really. I mean, he was just standing there, staring out the window in a daze and when I touched him, he 'bout blew my head off."

The other end was silent for a moment before Diana spoke again, her voice as confused as Dee felt.

"It's so not like Berkie to be jumpy like that. He's always so calm and collected..."

"And cocky..." Dee added in, drawing a small chuckle from the agent.

"Yes, that too. But that's exactly what I mean... Everyone who knows him knows that he never get nervous or anything and even if he does, he doesn't show it..."

"Oh, he was showing it alright... His office isn't that cold, right? Hell, it's warm compared to most of the other offices, but he was standing there shivering like he was out naked in the snow."

Dee leaned back in his chair to put his feet up on the desk, twirling a pen in his other hand. Diana was silent again for a moment then muttered in thought.

"You think of something?"

Dee asked, listening to the soft sound of her heels on the tile. He could practically picture her pacing the break room with a coffee in her hand and grinned despite himself at the image, though it disappeared when she spoke once more.

"Did he mention a guy to you?"

"A... guy...?" He echoed, drawing out the last word a bit. "Can ya give me a little more to go on then that?"

Diana sighed softly, the distinctive sound of a coffee cup being set down clinking in his ear. He'd been right after all and now, sensing a speech coming, he could picture her sitting in one of the chairs, legs crossed and her free hand dictating every word she said.

"When I visited him..." She began, "...Almost a week ago now, he said himself that he was distracted and worried about some guy..."

"Why didn't you ask him about it then?" Dee interjected, chewing on the end of his pen as he listened.

"Let me finish, Laytner. Geeze."

"Sorry." He muttered bringing out another sigh before she continued.

"Anyways, I -did- ask him about the guy but then he got kinda... I dunno... Weird I suppose, like you said. He seemed to catch himself and think about it then started playing it of like it was nothing to be worried about. Then he got me involved back into work and I guess I forgot about it till today..."

She trailed off slowly and they both fell silent again, the only sound being the hushed voices of their workplaces and traffic outside, at least on Dee's end. He was pretty sure you couldn't hear traffic inside the FBI building aside from blaring horns or really bad accidents.

"Do you think maybe...? No, he'd do something about that..."

Diana mumbled softly to herself and Dee tilted his head in his chair, shifting the pen to the corner of his mouth. Boy did he want a ciggarette.

"About what? I'm heading outside so speak up."

"Shaky hands?"

She asked, the accusatory sarcasm in her voice clear as day.

"Helps me think." He responded as he passed through the people in the hallway then pushed through the door to the outside. "So what were you thinking?" He drew a ciggerette from its pack and placed it in his mouth, flicking his lighter and taking a long drag from it.

"Well..." She began then hesitated for a moment. Dee thought about rushing her along but thought better of it and took another calming drag instead.

"Do you think someone's threatening him, Dee?"

Silence fell for the hundreth time during the conversation as Dee slowly blew the smoke out and thought about what she'd said.

"Do you really think he'd let that slide for this long? I would imagine he'd get annoyed after awhile. Either that or his cop side would kick in and he'd throw their ass in jail."

Even as he spoke the words, however, an image flashed through his mind of Berkley's shaking hands and jumpy demeanor the day before, causing doubt to immediatly dash the reassurance he'd just had.

"But he was so distracted by this guy..." Diana said, the worry in her voice reflecting the thoughts running through his mind. "And what happened yesterday... Dee, I don't like him like this. This isn't Berkley at all."

"No, no it's not..." Dee agreed quietly as he smudged out his ciggerette in the ashtray by the door. "So what do you want to do about it? Or do you want to let him handle it?"

"I don't know..." She responded and Dee could hear the strain in her voice from the confusion of the situation. "I've known Berkley for so long... He hates when people jut in on his cases and such..."

"This isn't a case, Diana. This could be his life we're talking about here." Dee interjected again, his own cop side flaring up as he re-thought about how distraught the commissioner had been lately.

"I know, I know... I just worry about him and I know making him mad won't help at all."

She said and Dee could hear the rare softness in her voice that she only used with Berkley or when the stress of her day finally began to beat her down.

"So what are we going to do then?" She asked as Dee stared up at the sky in thought. "Are we gonna try to find this guy?"

"Yeah..." He responded after a moment or two. "I think that's exactly what we're gonna do."

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_-- Um... Yep so... Review? Lol Sorry, I haven't slept yet and I'm kinda loopy. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter... The next one as I said is written, just needs to be typed, as always .;; I'm horrible about actually getting this stuff onto the computer. Luff to all you reading and thanks again, so much!! --_


	8. Night Prowl

_-- Alright I'm just pouring out the chapters this week. I've written chapter nine already and have the idea all set up for the next two chapters -.-; I'm lagging on here lol So let's get down to business and as always, I hope you enjoy it!! --_

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**Chapter 8: Night Prowl**

-The Same Night-

Dusk had fallen quickly on the city, as it often did. The sun hid quickly behind the tall skyscrapers, casting the streets into shadow often hours before actual sunset. Streetlights had flickered on and headlights now lit up the city along with the never sleeping neon of Times Square. Away from all the hustle and bustle however, nightfall meant a descent into almost pitch darkness. Here was where the rejected lived and slept, where drugs were bought, sold and used on a daily basis and prostitutes thrived. Here, gangs were seen more often then full families and you could always tell who was new to the neighborhood because they were bothered by the sight of a freshly killed body in the street.

Near the middle of this section, situated so that all areas of the city were readily available, stood a rundown house that looked as if it had been long abandoned. The porch steps were crumbling, leading up to a sagging porch with more holes then full boards. The door hung loosely on its hinges and the few windows that weren't broken were blacked out by grime and dark curtains that hung over every window in the house, blocking the view of passer-bys.

The inside was nicer, witha fireplace and furniture thrown out by the richer side of town who changed their interior decorations every couple of months. The fridge had barely enough food to sustain the house members, but years of living on the streets had seasoned their stomachs to expect less and appreciate more when they got it. Occasionally they would run off with a '5-Finger-Discount' item from a deli or grocery store, but many of these places were getting new detectors, making it harder to get away without risking being caught. Not that too many cops usually showed up around these parts, but sometimes you'd get a cop who thought he could 'clean up the streets' and for a few days, people would turn up missing or dead. It always ended the same though, with the cop deciding it wasn't worth it and joining the rest of the city who had given up hope on that 'slummy part of town'.

They believed that anyone who lived there was either a thief, a prostitute, a murderer or a combination of such, and that their hearts were cold and careless, when in reality, if they'd taken a few minutes to see the inside of these forsaken lives, they'd find love amongst families, parents who would sink to any low so their children to eat and friends who stuck together through anything and cried over the bodies of their fallen comrades. They'd also find sicknesses usually unseen because of the lack of available vaccines and medicines, children dieing from something as simple as chicken pox and the mentally disturbed running rampid and scared because they couldn't afford the medicine they need to be well. Instead, the upper and middle class decided to ignore their desperate pleas, causing the rejected to seclude themselves back into their slums, refusing help because it usually ended up causing more harm then good.

Some groups, however, still liked to mingle with the rest of society and see how things were going in the rest of the world. Occasionally these outings would lead to someone missing, but usually they went out solely to quench their boredum or just to get out of the house and/or alleyway that they lived in. Tonight was just the right night for it too... The moon was covered by sparse clouds, bringing out the neon of Times Square even more brightly then normal and therefore drawing out more tourists as well.

The bright lights of the city weren't what drew out one individual however, because tonight Crimson wasn't sightseeing with the tourists. Instead, he was doing his own kind of sightseeing in what was quickly becoming one of his favorite spots. Berkley's house. He'd been watching from a nearby deli for an hour or so before he knew the commissioner was leaving work so that he could easily follow him home, when he'd done only fifteen minutes ago. Now he stood outside Berkley's house, watching him nurse a cup of something, _"Probably tea..."_ , with a dinner he had hardly touched.

_"Must be getting to him..."_

Crimson thought to himself with a grin as he watched Berkley pick at his dinner. He then laughed softly as the blonde apparently gave up on eating and left his sight towards the kitchen. Now, Crimson knew from watching him all week, Berkley would go upstairs to his master bedroom, take a shower and then climb into bed to maybe watch a little tv before sleeping off the stress of the day. Sure enough, he soon heard the pipes rattle softly as water was turned on upstairs.

After waiting a few minutes to make sure he'd had time to get into the bathroom, Crimson climbed up the rose covered lattice on the side of the house and sat on the balcony that came off the master bedroom. From there he not only had a good view of the city, but also of Berkley himself when he exited the bathroom and climbed under his covers twenty minutes later. For awhile, how long he wasn't sure, Crimson sat there watching him as the other tossed and turned in his bed, no doubt with nightmares of his stalker, before he finally fell into a peaceful sleep. Only when a fellow gang member called did Crimson break his stare and quietly answer the offensive phone.

"What Blade? I'm busy..." He asked, his threatening voice coming through even as a whisper.

"Where the hell are you, man? I thought you were just watchin' him for a bit?"

"I am. Sheesh, you idiots that helpless alone?"

"Pfft, as if. Just wonderin' what's been keepin' you for the past few hours."

"Few hours...?" Crimson asked then glanced at his phone, which told him he'd been watching Berkley sleep for three hours. "Shit... Yeah, I'm comin'... Bye..."

He hung up the phone without waiting for a response, placing it back in the pocket he'd pulled it from. Yet even as he told himself it was pointless to watch his prey just lie there sleeping, he found himself wishing he could stay all night just to sit and watch him sleep some more. He shook his head rapidly and turned quickly away, wondering what the hell had come over him as he climbed back down the lattice, across the yard, up the tree and over the wall surrounding Berkley's house. Then, restraining himself from looking back, he quickly bolted off into the night, back to the comfort of the darkness he was used to.

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_-- Yay long descriptive random chapter! I know that hardly anything really happened as per plot-wise, but I really wanted a good chapter just of description of where Crimson and his gang lived. I dunno, I always thought I was better at that then conversation. -Shrugs- Well, as always, please review and let me know what you think!! Thanks!! --_


	9. Misplaced ConfusionPlans in Motion

_-- No, I still don't own FAKE, so stop making me sad. -Pouts- Crimson still belongs to Yujero and the other random characters are mine. --_

_-- Okay, so I haven't updated in a long time again and I'm reaaaaaaaally sorry. :( Between work and the NYAF last weekend, I've been running around like the a turkey before Thanksgiving. Buuuuut here's the next chapter -Cough- Finally... -Cough- Heheh lol Anyways, I'll let you get to reading and thanks to all who've stuck with me for it! Luff you all!! --_

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**Chapter 9: Misplaced Confusion/Plans In Motion**

"What the hell were you doin' over there, man? Takin' a nap?"

Crimson cast a glare at the other man but knew the gesture was pointless. Bieng his second in command, Blade was by far used to his leaders icy glare.

"I was just watching him... That's all."

"That's all?" The other echoed sarcastically as Crimson tossed his jacket over a couch then settled down into his favorite chair, draping a blanket around himself. "Man, when you gonna kill that guy? It's been over a week now... Ain't ou bored with him yet?"

"I'll kill him when I feel like it, Blade. Now stop questioning me."

His second shook his head and exhaled sharply in amusement.

"Ya know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you lost your guts."

When Crimson didn't even turn to glare at him, Blade tilted his head and flopped on the couch across from him, staring at him in amazement.

"The hell, Jace? I've never seen you like this before. This guy can't be that tough to get to, can he?"

It was silent for a moment before Crimson shifted slightly under the blanket and sighed softly, staring into the fireplace."

"No, he was easy to get to..."

"Then what's the problem? Why don't you just kill him already?"

"I... Don't know..."

Blade stared at him, head tilted in awe. He'd never seen his leader confuesed like this, especially not over a simple assassination. Murder seemed to come as a second nature to the man and he carried it out flawlessly everytime, never showing any emotion over the crimes he committed. This alone was a main reason why he was their leader because in truth, despite the fact that almost everyone in the gang was older then him, no one had ever dared to go up against him and his infamous temper. So now, seeing him stare thoughtfully into the blank fireplace, Blade worried about what could have possibly gotten into the young leader.

"You're thinking I can't do it..."

Crimsons quiet voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he found himself staring into harsh, chilled grey eyes.

"I never said that."

"But you're thinking it, aren't you?"

Blade fell silent as Crimson's accusing eyes stared him down, years of practice showing as his unblinking stare ground down the others defenses.

"I was just thinking that it's wierd for you to take so long on a murder, that's all. You usually toy with 'em for a day or two then wham! Next victim please."

"Well maybe I wanted to drag this one out a little longer. Is that a problem?"

His eyes hardened to a point where even Blade had to force himself to swallow, the click in his throat nerve wrackingly loud in his own ears.

"No sir..." He muttered, lowering his gaze slightly."

Crimson stared at him a moment longer then sighed and turned his gaze back to the empty fireplace.

"Leave me alone for awhile, Blade. I need to think..." He said softly and Blade nodded, standing slowly off the couch.

"You want a fire in there to keep ya warm?" He asked, motioning towards the fireplace.

Crimson shook his head slightly and Blade nodded before turning and heading out of the room. Only after the door snapped shut did Crimson allow himself to relax, curling his legs up to his chest and placing his chin down upon them. He knew he should sleep so he'd be able to go out stalking later, but his mind was so jumbled that he thought he'd never be able to clear it enough to actually sleep. As the minutes ticked by on the old grandfather clock they'd picked up off the curb just two weeks ago, Crimson shut his eyes against the room and found himself picturing Berkley resting peacefully in his bed. This time though, instead of imagining the carnage he had been hired to carry out, the image of his prey calmed and lulled him into a quiet dreamland of his own.

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"So, find anyone with a criminal record yet?" Dee asked sarcastically and Diana laughed bitterly.

"Yeah, only about half of New York City."

"Oh, is that all? Well I'm glad we limited it down so much."

They both shared an eye roll and a groan as they stared at all the names in front of them.

"Looks like we're gonna have to do this the old fashioned way." Diana finally said, tossing the papers down and picking up her third cup of coffe of the night.

"Oh, and what's that?"

Dee asked, his own coffee sitting on his desk alongside his midnight snack. Diana took a sip of her coffee then leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.

"We're gonna have to stalk Berkley too."

"Stalk... Wait, what?!" Dee exclaimed, staring at her as if she'd grown a third head. "How's that supposed to help and when exactly are we going to have time for this? I don't know about you FBI people, but I've got other cases to work on too and the chief will have my head if they don't get taken care of."

"Use your head, Laytner." Diana sighed out. "I know it's hard but make that tiny brain of yours work."

They exchanged stuck-out tongues across the room and Dee rolled his eyes, both of them stifling a small laugh.

"So tell me, honestly, how stalking Berkley is gonna help him."

"Well first things first, you'll have to get someone to cover for you for awhile, which I'm sure JJ will be all too happy to do."

"Do you have to remind me of his over-enthusiastic-ness towards me...?" Dee asked in a pained tone, rubbing his hand over his face.

Diana smirked before continuing. "Second, if we follow Berkley at the same time his stalker is..." She trailed off, rolling her wrist in a continuation motion as realization struck Dee and he snapped his fingers quickly.

"Then maybe we'll at least be able to find out who's doing it and, if we're lucky, arrest the bastard right then and there."

"Aw what a smart boy... You want a doughnut?" Diana crooned then laughed as Dee glared and blew a raspberry at her. "Come on, Laytner. Let's get home and get ourselves some sleep. We'll start on this tomorrow night."

Dee nodded and stretched, groaning when he saw the time on his computer. "Yeah, sleep sounds good right about now..." He got up, collecting his stuff and opened the door to let Diana out.

"You're paying for breakfast though and yes, I want doughnuts."

Diana laughed and patted his arm as she walked out past him.

"Whatever you say, Dee. Whatever you say."

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_-- Sooooooooooooo am I still on a roll? Even though I ate said roll a few chapters ago... o.O;; Oh well. R&R and lemme know what you think pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaase!! I'll love you even more!! --_


	10. Dread Of Realization

_-- Disclaimer: Is the same as every other chapter so if you haven't gotten it by now, you never will --_

_-- Now that that's out of the way lol I don't think I'm going to even bother putting that in any more chapters cause it's just annoying and takes time out of the time you could be reading better things... Like new chapters! Yay! So I have up to chapter 12 written now, just have to get my lazy self in gear and type them all up lol Forgive my laziness, for I have been tired. -Sad face- But I'm working on them, I promise! And so, without further ado, I give you the next chapter!! Wooo!! --_

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**Chapter 10: Dread Of Realization**

"Mmm... mn..."

Bright mid-morning sunlight flared from the sky outside, filtering in through a crack in the curtains just enough to cause Crimson discomfort in his waking sleep state. His hand rose slowly from its position on his leg up to his face, pulling the blanket up with it to shelter his eyes. The movement, however, stirred the rest of his muscles into realizing how cramped they were and Crimson cringed slightly, a soft sigh falling from his lips before stretching out slowly, pushing the blanket onto the floor in the process. After much stretching and groaning as he tried to un-knot his muscles, he tossed the blanket back on the chair and headed out into the main room where most of his members were gathered. Nods and good mornings were exchanged as he walked in and sat on a couch to lace up his boots, not bothering to change out of his clothes from the day before.

"What're the plans today, boss?" One of the others piped up with a mouthfull of food, pulling a sigh and shaked of the head out of Crimson.

"What did I tell you about talking to me with crap in your mouth, Gem?"

The man gulped down the food in his mouth and muttered an apology as the rest of them snickered at him.

"I wouldn't tease much... The rest of you aren't any better."

Crimsons voice spoke out, causing the snickers to turn into grumbles as they all went back to work on their breakfasts.

"Well, I'm heading out. You morons can do what you please. Just don't get caught again... I'm sick of bailing your sorry asses out of jail."

That said, he got up off the couch and pulled on his trenchcoat, instantly hiding the multiple weapons he carried with him daily. Then, with a nod of goodbye to Blade, he strode out into the dazzling sunlight and out onto the street towards the precinct.

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Meanwhile, inside said precinct, Dee and Diana were stationed in Dee and Ryo's office polishing off their doughnuts and coffee as they made plans on how to find Berkleys stalker.

"So what are we gonna do? Just sit and watch for some guy who seems to be watching Berkley?"

Dee asked, licking the remnants of his doughnut off his fingers. Diana nodded as she swallowed the last bite of her own, followed by a quick swig of coffee.

"Pretty much. I'll probably ask Berkley to go somewhere if no one really suspicious shows up here. You know... See if anyone in particular follows him instead of just grabbing some guy off the street."

"Yeah, it'd suck if we arrested some guy for admiring Berkley's hair or something."

Diana chuckled as she took another drink of coffee then sighed softly, glancing in the direction of Berkley's office.

"Worried?" Dee asked, though he knew it was obvious that they both were. Diana nodded a bit and sat in Ryo's empty chair. (Dee had convinced his partner to tag along with Drake and JJ for the day.) "We'll find this guy..." Dee said, attempting to comfort the agent through his own fears. "And in the meantime, don't stress so much over it. The last thing I need is you going bonkers on me too."

Diana managed a faint smile then swiveled the chair around to face out the window. Dee followed suit, slouching down a bit and loosening his tie from around his neck.

"I spy with my little eye... A person!" Dee exclaimed after a few minutes, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"And I spy an idiot." Diana responded, trying to suppress a giggle.

"o0o0o where?!" Dee asked, his voice still laced in sarcasm, causing Diana to fake an eye roll.

"I'm lookin' at him."

Dee glanced outside then shook his head, fighting to keep a straight face as he spoke.

"Man, that guy out there isn't gonna be happy about some seahag calling him an idi... Ack!" He ducked quickly as a pen came flying towards his head, laughing as he came back up. "Aw, I'm getting the feeling you don't love me anymore." He said, lower lip sticking out exaggeratedly.

"Got that right." Diana responded simply and they both grinned at each other. "Now come on." She said, repositioning herself to a more comfortable position. "Let's get to watching or we'll end up missing this jerk."

"Yeah yeah..." Dee grumbled as he slouched down in his chair again, crossing his arms and ankles in front of himself with a sigh.

They watched for what seemed like hours as people passed by on the street and a few of their fellow officers made faces at them through the glass on their way out on patrol.

"Hey." Dee said suddenly, sitting up in his chair slowly as he stared out the window. "Check out that guy across the street... He's staring pretty intently in this direction."

Diana sat up as well and followed his gaze.

"And to top it all off he's wearing a trenchcoat in beautiful weather... Either suspicious or weird..."

"I'm going with a little of both." Dee proclaimed as he stood slowly out of his chair.

"Probably. Well, he's coming this way... Try to get a good look at him. See if you recognize him or anything."

Dee nodded as he moved casually over to the filing cabinet near the window, pretending to go through it while watching the man cross the street out of the corner of his eye.

"Aw shit..." He muttered softly when he realized who it was and closed the filing cabinet before going back to his chair and flopping back down in it. "I think this may be a bit harder then we thought..."

"Why? Who was it?" Diana asked, glancing out the window despite the fact that the stalker was now out of view. Dee started pacing a bit, hands in his pockets and eyes downcast as he spoke.

"Remember that guy everyone was talking about last week? Hell they're still talking about him... The gang leader we couldn't catch cause most of the guys here cherish their lives too much to go after him?"

Diana stared at him for a moment, letting the question sink in before a small gasp escaped her.

"Oh God, not him... Not him..." She muttered, placing her palm across her forehead as the beginnings of a headache started surfacing.

"Yeah..." Dee confirmed with a sigh, stopping his pacing long enough to stare out the window once more. "It's Crimson..."

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_-- Once again, I apologize for the really, really long wait on the chapters. I'm gonna try to get the next two up as quickly as possible to make up for it and I hope you're all still wanting to read more. *Puppy eyes* Don't abandon me now, please? I love you all and thank you for reading and as always, please lemme know what you think. ^_^ --_


	11. Building Of Guilt

_-- I know, I know... It's been forever again. Can I plead total and absolute laziness? Please? Lol No honestly, I've just been so tired lately (Stupid colds) and haven't gotten anything done, much less putting this up so I'm sowwi :( Do you still love me? -Puppy eyes- Please please? Hehe --_

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**Chapter 11: Building Of Guilt**

Horns blared on the busy New York City street as Crimson casually crossed through traffic and just as casually flicked off the drivers without even sparing them a passing glance. As he neared the precinct, he passed around to the side of the building where he knew Berkley's office was stationed, his pace slowing slightly. Until now, he'd always stayed on the other side of the street or at least behind the fence surrounding the building but today he wanted a closer look at how his prey acted when he didn't know his stalker was around so creeping next to the window seemed the safest way to not be seen. A flicker of movement from another window caught his eye as he crept along but he disregarded it, too anxious to see Berkley to care. The peace his dreams had brought him still lingered in his mind and now he was curious to see not only how Berkley was acting, but how is own self would act as well.

Lately he'd been having problems because Berkley's blinds were always shut, but today they were open enough to let in the dazzling morning sunlight... And enough for Crimson to peek through. He grinned despite himself once he spotted his prey and almost immediatly he felt a sense of peace fill his body that he'd never felt before accepting the job from the old fool in the alleyway. Placing one hand on the glass, he stared through the blinds as Berkley looked over the paperwork on his desk and sipped at his coffee. As he watched, he realized there were so many things about the man he'd never noticed before... The way the sunlight caught in his blonde hair, making it shimmer like the finest gold... The way his shirt moved over his back as he wrote... The way his eyes turned to melted honey in the daylight...

He snapped out of his thoughts at that as he realized Berkley was staring back at him from his desk. For several moments that seemed like hours they stayed there, Berkley in his chair and Crimson with his hand on the window, honey and ice meeting in a silent conversation that was kept silent from their owners. Finally Berkley got up and went to the window, pulling up the blinds fully so they could see each other better. Crimson backed away slowly, dropping his hand as Berkley pulled open the window before letting his own hands drop to his pants pockets. Their stare-off continued for another full minute before Crimson turned his gaze away, another thing to add to the list of things he'd never done before meeting Berkley.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice me..." He muttered softly and Berkley shrugged.

"Just cause I'm tired doesn't mean my senses are dead."

Crimson nodded as images of Berkley tossing in his bed filled his mind and a strange feeling took over him, something he recognized but hadn't felt for years. He felt... Guilty. Staring at the dark circles under the other's eyes and seeing the tired way he was holding himself actually made him feel guilty.

~"Yep, definatly something wrong with me..."~ He thought to himself as he cleared his throat. "So... Were you able to sleep alright last night?"

~"Could you maybe sound a little more like you don't care?!"~ His mind scolded as Berkley shrugged again and sat in the chair by the window.

"No, and I suppose I have you to thank for that. I wish you'd just kill me already and leave me in peace..."

The hopeless plea hidden in that single statement jabbed at Crimson's heart and hurt worse then any physical injury he could think of ever having.

"...I'm sorry..." He heard himself whisper, causing the other to turn his head in surprise.

"You...what...?" Berkley asked, not believing what he thought he'd just heard. Surely he hadn't... Apologized? Crimson hung his head slightly and slid his suddenly shaky hands into the pockets of his trenchoat, taking a deep breath before plunging on.

"I'm sorry... For all of this. For keeping you up at night, for stalking you... Hell, for accepting this job in the first place. Just.. Everything..."

In those rushed and breathless words, Berkley heard something he rarely ever heard from criminals and certainly never expected to hear from one of New York's most notorious gang leaders. He heard regret... Honest and pure. He could always tell when the bad guys were just sucking up with their apologies... It was a trait he'd learned fast and was one of the many that had always made him a good cop. There were rare times though, when he'd come across someone who had murdered or kidnapped or whatnot and had later come to him crying and begging for forgiveness because they couldn't stand the thought of what they'd done. Often times, those people were allowed to go out (supervised, of course) and travelled to juvenile halls, schools, and other jails to speak about what they had done, why they regretted it and why no one should ever, ever do what they had done. And now, as Berkley stared at this young gang leader in utter disbelief, his instincts as a cop were telling him that he was, indeed, regretfull of what he'd done. There was a certain air of honesty and relief flowing between them that he'd never felt from him before and he sighed softly, raking a hand through his blonde hair.

"You know, for someone who's been threatening to kill me, you're sure being nice all of the sudden. Why the change of heart?"

Crimson shrugged slightly, one hand reaching up to push a strand of hair behind his ears. It was a nervous gesture that Berkley recognized and he had to supress a small smile as the younger began to explain.

"I don't know..." He started, his gaze cast down towards the windowsill. "I guess I kinda started to realize last night. I sat outside your window for hours just watching you sleep and it somehow... Calmed me, I guess is the right word. I dunno... Maybe I'm just losing my mind."

Berkley exhaled sharply in humor and shook his head.

"Well the fact that you were outside my house doesn't surprise me at all. In fact, it explains why I was so jittery all and as for losing your mind, I believe that happened a long time ago."

Crimson laughed nervously, a soft sound that brought another smile to his lips, one that this time he didn't try to conceal. A comfortable silence fell between them and Crimson raised his gaze to the other once more. His eyes, Berkley noticed, weren't actually all that cold when he wasn't glaring, though he thought a softer color would look much nicer on him... Green maybe, or brown...

"Commissioner?"

Berkley snapped out of his thoughts and quickly turned to find one of the dispatchers standing in the doorway.

"Yes, what is it?" He asked, almost a little too quickly. If the other noticed though, she didn't mention anything.

"Someone here to see you, sir. I believe they have some information about one of your cases."

Berkley nodded and swiped his hand through his hair, a habit he blamed on Dee.

"Give me a few moments please, then send them in."

"Yes, sir."

"Sorry about that..." Berkley began as he turned back around but stopped mid-sentence and looked around quickly. "Crimson...?" He called softly out the window but was met only with the sounds of the restless city. Crimson, once again, was gone.

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_-- Next two chapters coming soon so be sure to let me know if you still love me!! Lol --_


	12. All Wound Up & Nowhere To Go

_--- Soooo... Do you guys hate me cause it's taking me so long? :( I have to be honest, I've just been so lazy that I haven't even written anything in the past 2 weeks. I dunno if it's writer's block or that I just haven't been feeling it, but I've gotten noooowhere. However, I am pleased to announce that on top of this story, I've started working on another story that is long in coming and is slowly coming together. Yes, it's another FAKE fic and I've actually had the storyline for quite a long time, just never actually put it down sooo bear with me while I work on both of em, kay? I love you all and thanks so much for sticking with me! ---_

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**Chapter 12: All Wound Up & Nowhere To Go**

"You want to WHAT?!" Dee's voice rang out in his office, muffled by the shut door but still loud enough for those passing by to turn their heads curiously.

"Shut it, Laytner, and let me finish." Diana scolded, one hand on her hip as she glared at the detective.

"Diana, what you're sayig is madness... It's like suicide! You don't just waltz into Crimson's hideout unless you want to be shot!"

"For God's sake, Dee, will you shut up a minute?!" Diana exclaimed, stunning Dee to silence for a moment before shaking his head.

"Fine genius... What's your master suicide plan before I denounce myself part of it again?"

Diana rolled her eyes and shifted a bit before continuing. "As I was saying, we need to find a way to get this guy before he gets to Berkley and the only way I can think of without causing complete chaos is to catch him at his hideout."

"Cause that will cause **much** less chaos..." Dee grumbled, getting a glare from the other. "Why can't we just nab him on the street or outside Berkley's house? I'm sure he spends plenty of time there. Besides, we don't even know for sure if he's the one stalking him... For all we know, he could've just been wandering around looking for crooked cops to recruit or something."

"That's not funny, Laytner." Diana snapped and Dee shrugged.

"I'm not trying to be... You know it happens too. I just don't want my ass in trouble for arresting someone with no proof of any crime."

"He's murdered countless people, Dee! He's even admitted to most of them to our faces!"

"And you know just as well as I do that a cops word against a criminal means **nothing** in court without solid evidence behind it!"

Diana slid one hand down her face then flopped backwards into the chair behind her, a tired sigh escaping her as she leaned back slowly.

"I'm sorry, Dee. I'm so wound up over worrying about Berkie... I hardly even know what I'm saying anymore. I just..."

"I know Diana... I know. It's alright... I'm wound too." Dee sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair before taking out his box of cigarettes and motioning to the window. "You mind?" He asked and Diana shook her head, closing her eyes as she leaned back more and rested her head against the chair. Dee moved over to the window, opening it wide before lighting up his cigarette and taking a long drag, doing his best to make sure at least most of the smoke went outside.

"So..." He said after a few moments. "What are we gonna do to prove this guy is Berkley's stalker?"

"I don't know..." Diana said as she straightened herself slightly in the chair. "I mean, no one's been able to catch this jerk even when we know he's the one doing it. Every precinct **and** the FBI are after him and no one's even gotten close."

"And we're trying to catch him all by our lonesomes... Beautiful." Dee finished in a bitterly amused voice, shaking his head as he stubbed out his cigarette and pace slowly around the room. "I guess first off we have to prove he's doing it, huh?"

Diana nodded as she watched him pace. "We can easily set up a camera outside Berkley's office window and take turns watching his house at night." She suggested, crossing her legs and tapping one foot anxiously.

Dee exhaled upwards and once again swiped his hand through his hair, uncontiously noting that he hadn't even brushed it this morning.

"We're gonna be damn tired when this is all over..." He mused, staring at the ceiling.

"But Berkley will finally be at peace... That'll be worth it." Diana pointed out and Dee nodded, smiling ruefully.

"Yeah, that and we'll be famous if we actually live to put this guy away."

Diana chuckled softly as Dee flopped into his chair and stared out the window in thought.

"Ya know..." He said after a moment, "Most people would consider stalking a criminal too dangerous and would turn the other way screaming and running for their lives."

"Well we aren't most people, Dee." Diana stated simply, turning her gaze to stare out the window with him. "We don't often get the chance to be..."

Dee nodded gravely and glanced in the direction of Berkley's office. _~Hold on, Berkley...~ _He thought to himself in the now quiet of the office. _~And God... Please let us be wrong...~_

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_--- Well, you know the drill! Lemme know what you thought and thank you again to all of you who have stuck with me through all the times I've been so late in updating. Luff luff!! ----  
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	13. Stalking The Stalker

_--- See? I told you I'd catch up lol So here ya go, two chapters to read while I work on some more :) Enjoy and I promise I'll keep working on this one as well as the new one. Luff luff!! ---_

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**Chapter 13: Stalking The Stalker**

_- A Few Days Later -  
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"Hey boss, that guy's out there again."

Crimson perked his head up and went over to the window, scoffing softly.

"That's him, huh?" He asked and Blade nodded. "Hmm..."

A couple days ago, Blade had noticed a stranger standing against the wall of the building across from their hideout. He'd watched for a few minutes as the dark haired stranger smoked a cigarette then had decided to go find out what he was doing in Crimson's territory, but by the time he had gotten past the scuffle in the main room, the man had disappeared. The next day he'd come back, once again just standing and smoking, never meeting anyone or doing anything else. That time Blade had made it out in time, but the man had walked away as soon as he'd gotten out the door. After that incident, he'd told Crimson about it and the leader had ordered that he be told the instant the jerk came back. Now he was there again and Crimson was squinting slightly trying to make out the guys features. His mind was whirling, trying to think of who it could be when Blade stopped his thoughts in their tracks.

"You think the cops are onto us?"

Crimson twitched visibly and glanced at his second before turning back to the window.

"It could be, but that means they've either raised their standards or have resorted to sending out idiots for suicide missions."

"What are ya gonna do about him?" Blade asked then glanced down at sharp sound of a gun being cocked.

"I'm gonna go see what he wants."

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Outside, Dee dropped his cigarette to the ground and crushed it out with his shoe before slipping his hands in his pockets. Diana had figured that since he'd been raised on the streets, he could pull off the needed look and attitude better then she could. He had retorted with saying she could just walk out there and play off as a hooker, but that had only gotten him a good smack across the face and literally kicked out of her office. Soooo here he was, trying to act nonchalant as he watched the hideout where he knew they were all holed up. He'd had a good scare yesterday when one of the larger members had come out, but he was damn proud of himself for calmly walking away instead of running as his mind had screamed to do. He closed his eyes slowly, leaning back against the wall of the building he was standing outside of. He knew he should be watching to see if anything happened, but the last few sleepless nights were really taking their toll and hey, a minute or two of shut-eye couldn't hurt...

"You waitin' for something, asshole?"

A voice asked suddenly and Dee's eyes snapped open, forcing his hand to not follow its instincts and go for the gun hidden in the waistband of his pants.

"Uh, no... Just taking a break. Why?" He asked, trying to speak casually past the lump in his throat where his heart had jumped to.

"A break, huh? From where?" Crimson asked, crossing his arms in front of himself and staring at the other, his eyes laughing at him. Dee refrained from swallowing and shrugged.

"From work? Where else do you take a break from at my age?" He said, trying to make it sound as if it should be obvious. Crimson nodded and casually shifted his hand down closer to his gun.

"And where exactly do you work? Do anything... Interesting?" The leader asked, watching his face and body language closely to see if it betrayed the other. Dee recognized the scrutinizing gaze however, and simply shrugged again.

"Nah, not really. Just help clean up around the convenience store down the block." He said casually, motioning the direction with a wave of his hand. The answer he'd come up with didn't seem to satisfy the gang leader though, and Dee had to force himself to swallow normally.

"Convenience store, hmm? You sure you're not a **cop**?" He asked suddenly, stepping closer till they were almost touching. Dee remained silent for a moment, his mind racing as he let out a laugh to delay time.

"Me? A cop? Ha! Like they'd ever let me in there! Maybe behind bars, man, but they'd never let me work there even if I wanted to!" He continued laughing then swiped at his eyes, pretending to be wiping tears away. Crimson continued to glare at him but took a step back, watching the other closely. The motion set Dee a bit more at ease but boy he'd feel better with some sort of protection in his hand... His gun, preferably. An awkward silence fell between them and Dee glanced down at his watch, cursing under his breath and twisting his face to look worried.

"Aw man, I'm gonna be late. See ya later."

Crimson nodded then stared after him as the man ran away. After he was fully gone from sight, he went back inside and almost ran into Blade, who'd been watching from the front window.

"Dude, why didn't you blast that guy?!" He exclaimed as Crimson shut the door behind himself and brushed past him to sit in one of the chairs.

"Because..." He said slowly as he unlaced his boots and kicked them off. "I want to see what he does now that he's been confronted about being on my turf."

"But what if he **is** a cop and just brings more cops?" Blade asked then shivered at the evil smile that formed on Crimsons face as the leader looked up at him.

"Then..." He said with a light cackle. "We have a blood bath..."

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_-- Reviews are luff, as always!! --  
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	14. Contemplations

_-- Okay so it's been a REALLY long time since I updated this poor story. I am guilty of all charges, including forgetfullness, laziness, writer's block and... Well... Life lol There will be one more chapter coming up soon after this one, since it's already written, but after that I actually have to get my writing fling back up. There will also be other stories and songfics popping up along the way, so watch out for those as well. Thank you so much to all my faithful readers who have stuck with me through all these months that I haven't updated and I hope the story hasn't failed you ^_^ --_

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**Chapter 14: Contemplations**

*Riiiiiiiiiinnnnggg.... Riiiiiiiiinnnnggg.....*

The piercing sound of a cell phone rang out through the hideout, seeming way too loud in the quiet stillness of the night. Crimson answered it half asleep, thinking it was most likely one of his gang members in trouble... again.

"Mmn?" He mumbled into the phone, only opening his eyes when a stern voice came from the other end.

"Is this Crimson?" The voice sounded slightly familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd heard it before.

"Who the hell is this and why are you calling me at..." He paused and glanced at his phone, grumbling. "...Three in the fucking morning?"

The stranger ignored his question, however, and answered instead with one of his own.

"Why haven't you killed Berkley Rose yet?"

"Well that explains who you are..." Crimson muttered, rubbing his eyes with his free hand as his mind slowly woke up.

"I asked you a question, young man." The other reprimanded and Crimson scoffed with laughter.

"I see you found your balls sometime since we last spoke." Silence came from the other end, so he continued. "And besides, I'm getting around to killing him off, I just ran into some... Difficulties..." He smiled slightly at the 'difficulties' he'd run into but the smile slid quickly into a scowl as the other began speaking again.

"You know, I was told you were the best around but now I'm not so sure. Am I going to have to hire someone else, Crimson?" The tone and solid annunciation of his name made Crimson growl softly, but he managed to keep his voice calm, resorting to the tone he usually saved for prey or rebelling gang members... The tone that had made his stature of being coldblooded so infamous.

"I suppose you could, but then what's there to stop me from killing you instead? As far as I'm concerned, your life is only worth as much as you're paying me for this assassination. Now am I going to have to come down to your pretty little window office and splatter your precious balding head all over your pristine papers or are you gonna shut the hell up and let me do my job?"

The other line fell silent for a moment before the man quickly muttered something about getting the job done and hung up with a sharp click. Crimson exhaled sharply in humor as he set down his phone and sat up to stretch out his shoulder, which had begun to cramp up from leaning on his arm during the conversation.

"Someone bothering you, boss?"

Crimson looked up towards the door where Blade now stood, an -I'll kill the bastard- look on his face.

"Nah, just that idiot who hired me. He's a lot more gutsy when he's not talking to my face... Maybe I should go pay him a visit instead and see how macho he is then." He grinned slightly at the idea and Blade rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be after Berkley, not the guy who hired you?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well wouldn't it ruin the concept to kill off the guy who's gonna be payin' you?"

Crimson fell silent as he stared at him and Blade tilted his head to the side. "Boss?" He called quietly and Crimson jumped a bit.

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

He muttered then glanced away, the grin on his face slowly growing as his mind reeled and Blade started chuckling.

"Oh I know that look. You're contemplatin' something evil, ain'tcha?" He paused as Crimson turned to him, his grin now a small vindictive smile. "Yeah, I knew it."

Crimson laughed shortly and waved his hand in dismissal. "Go on back to bed, Blade. You'll find out about it later."

"What, when it's all over the front page news again?" Blade asked sarcastically, pulling another laugh out of his leader.

"Maybe..." He said, drawing out the word playfully as he stretched again. Blade rolled his eyes again then headed out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Crimson laid back down, staring out his window for some time, thoughts and plans now spinning wildly in his mind. "Oh you'll see alright... You'll see." He muttered, laughing softly as he fell asleep to dreams of blood, murder and horribly wonderful irony.

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_--- Yep so it's kinda like a filler chapter but it has a small amount of importance, or at least will later. Please R&R and lemme know that I haven't lost you all!! I still love you!! *Puppy eyes* ---_


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